1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-liquid separator with self-priming pump and specifically relates to a solid-liquid separator with self-priming pump that separates sludge and other foreign matter by a centrifugal force of a liquid cyclone.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
In regard to a purification apparatus for a solid-liquid mixture that is a fluid/liquid to be treated in which sludge, solid debris, particulate matter, dust, and other foreign matter are mixed, there is known an art of feeding the solid-liquid mixture into a cyclone cylinder by a pump and performing cyclone separation of the sludge, etc., in the solid-liquid mixture by a swirl flow generated inside the cyclone cylinder (see, for example, Japanese Patent Pre-publication No. 2006-61897). In the present Specification, sludge shall refer not only to sludge but also inclusively to slurry, which is a flock-like fluid suspension that contains the sludge.
Although the purification apparatus based on cyclone separation exhibits a high separation performance in comparison to separation techniques that utilize a bag filter or a cartridge filter, it operates in connection with a discharging system of the pump and thus accompanies a problem of wear and damage of the pump arrangement by the sludge. That is, the purification apparatus based on cyclone separation is intended for solid-liquid separation and the wear of the pump is thus not taken into consideration at all.
In regard to the problem of wear and damage of the pump arrangement, measures have been taken in regard to structure and material of a main pump body to provide a pump that is strong against sludge liquids, in other words, accommodations at the pump side, such as use of a wear-resistant material in the main pump body and arranging of a pump structure through which foreign matter passes readily, have been made thus far.